Olympics, Cricket, & Global Tensions: A World in Conflict

Pakistan's cricket captain announced that he would leave it up to India's players to decide whether to shake hands before and after their upcoming T20 World Cup match in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The match, scheduled for Sunday, February 15, 2026, marks the first time the teams will meet since an acrimonious clash at the Asia Cup tournament last September, which India won, according to Sky News. This comes amidst ongoing political and military tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors, who were on the brink of all-out war in May 2025.

Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered a keynote speech at the annual Munich Security Conference, where European stakeholders expressed reassurance but remained wary, as reported by NPR Politics. The conference brings together global leaders to discuss pressing issues.

In other news, U.S. pairs skaters Danny O'Shea and Ellie Kam helped the U.S. win gold in the team event at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, according to NPR News. This was their Olympic debut, where they scored a personal best in their free skate.

Across the globe, Japan's new leader, the first woman to hold the position after decades of male leadership, secured a record-breaking election victory last week, according to Time. She is keen to revise the country's pacifist constitution and rebuild its military. She favors big government and public spending to spur growth.

Finally, the United States and Israel, led by Trump and Netanyahu respectively, agreed to increase economic pressure on Iran, particularly targeting its oil exports to China, according to Al Jazeera. However, disagreements persist regarding the ultimate goal, with Trump open to a deal while Netanyahu reportedly believes any agreement is futile, potentially pushing the US toward direct conflict, even as diplomatic channels remain open with upcoming talks in Geneva.